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This picture has not been doctored to appear yellow, the yellow shows you our proximity to the Forest Fires that ravaged much of California last summer. Some of the areas we had planned to travel to were off limits. Some areas were smoky, some were yellow from the flames, some streets and cars had ash from fires, carried sometimes for miles. This pretty but very eerie scene was around Big Sur. We traveled quite a ways, only to find out we couldn't get throw and had turn around and head back. We were then able to approach some of the area the next morning from the other side.The sun did come out a few times, tried hard to burn away the smoke, fog, smog etc, but was unable to. This is one of the few times we actually saw the sun. We passed a staging area for the fireman, a fire camp loaded with equipment before we had to turn around.We spotted planes that were making drops of chemicals and water on the fires in several locations. Normally Big Sur is crowded is with fisherman…

Today, I'm venturing away from my typical travel information to ask a favor. I'm posting a dedication page for my niece, Janet. Janet was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma just before her 16th birthday. She underwent multiple surgeries, endured massive amounts of chemotherapy, and spent a year of her young life in the hospital. I'm happy to report she's currently doing quite well. She's a very special young lady. She's an honor student about to begin her Junior year in College. This dedication page is part of the Lance Armstrong Project, Live Strong. Please visit and sign her dedication page.

Thank you in advance for helping us support her and so many others in the fight against cancer.

Sandy

Join me in a couple of days as we continue to explore the California Coast.

Old photo's from the "Oldest City". St. Augustine in Florida is the first permanent European settlement in the U.S. (These old poor quality photo's are from the dark ages, my honeymoon back in 1972, taken with a little Instamatic then scanned).

There is so much to see and do here in this beautiful city. Spanish influence is most apparent as you tour the city. Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon first came ashore here in 1513. Though the word here has broad meaning. The exact location really isn't known, but thought to be in this area. He didn't come with a mission to make a settlement, rather his mission was to explore. The area wasn't well thought of, poor land, infested with insects and alligators, humid uncomfortable weather and hurricanes. Ponce de Leon continued on to other places in his explorations.

French Huguenots attempted to colonize the area in 1562, unsuccessfully as they ran out of food and pulled out. The French tried again in 15…

Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge is quite an adventure whether you drive your car, ride a bike, or walk. We opted to drive the car over due to the time of day and the weather.

You feel almost like you're in a tunnel, and as you look up you feel quite small. When it was built in 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Looking across you get a feel for the size and strength of this structure. Though no longer the longest, it ranks 9th. It's ranked the 5th most favorite Architecture in the United States according to Wikipedia.

Please take time and pay homage to the Navy and Merchant Marine Memorials. The Lone Sailor Memorial was dedicated in 2002 and is a replica of the one in Washington D.C.

I highly recommend taking time to site see here, dress warm and prepared to wait your turn to get pictures, and to use the bathroom.

Sadly this beautiful location is a suicide destination, the most popular in fact in the United States. No exact figures were listed however. …

Imagine yourself in the midst of this picturesque scene.Bucharest apartments,luxury apartment accommodations await you, the ultimate savvy traveler. Regardless of your needs, business travel or family vacation you can bask in luxury and comfort with superior accommodations. Two or three room suites/apartments available with fully equipped kitchens in the heart of the city. These luxury apartments are privately owned, spacious, and have all the modern conveniences you could ever possibly require. Wide screen TV, wireless internet service, 24 hour concierge service are just a few of the amenities that will make your stay memorable.

Transportation to and from the airport are available for a minimal fee. Maid service is available, because after all, you're on vacation!

Treat yourself to a special vacation and enjoy private, secure and luxury accommodations in historic Bucharest; on par with a 5 star hotel for half the cost. Enjoy the nightlife in Bucharest, a city coming alive wit…

Lunch time travels. You migh not think of going to lunch as traveling; but it can be. My Dad and I traveled about 50 miles to take care of some family business (dealing with my Mother's Death), and had lunch here, Cross Keys Tavern. We ventured there because my cousin works there. However, once there I became fascinated with it, love historic places, old buildings and often wonder when they were built, what happened there etc. I knew from an old photo this was an historic building in downtown Chillicothe. Chillicothe was the state's first capital and is filled with historic happenings.

Currently, it's an Irish Pub with live music. Dixieland music some nights. In fact it holds a bit of a record. After some research here on line I found that it has the 2nd longest continuously playing house of Dixieland music in the country! It's been a tavern since the early 1900's. I asked my cousin what had been upstairs, she laughed and said maybe a bordello…

Salsalito, across the bay from San Francisco is worth an afternoon of touring. The quaint city on the hillside has narrow winding streets lined with flower boxes adorning the windows. A busy little place, heavy traffic. Park the car and walk, you'll see more. A fun place to shop, tour art galleries, and have lunch or a snack but pricey!

A jumping off point for many tours of the wine country, though you can taste plenty without hoping a tour bus. This glass was the largest wine glass I've consumed wine in. And one glass was enough!As we crossed the bridge, we looked across the cloudy bay towards San Francisco.

A HUGE packing barge/ship. These are busy ports. We actually had a hard time even seeing the ship with our eyes, but through the beauty of computer edits; I am able to show it to you against the backdrop of San Francisco

This view gives you a feel for how hilly it is, and how the houses are built into the hillside. Just outside the city is a floating city where hous…

A few posts ago, I asked you to pack and be ready to travel with me to one of my favorite places. Packing...well, you don't need much. This time of year-- sunscreen, good walking shoes, camera, and water. I'll bring along "the kit".

I traveled with my SIL to the barn last week to photograph Tango Tricks, and on the way there we spotted a cemetery. Not a new cemetery; but what appeared to be an historic graveyard. We stopped on the way back and I got some photographs. No, I'm not a goth and no I'm not obsessed with death or morbid things. Cemeteries to me are stories waiting to be told. Everyone buried there is a wife, a mother, a sister, a brother, a husband, a cousin, a grandfather, or a grandmother. Everyone! They all have a story they'd like us to know, to share; even if you're not family.

Randomly I snapped photo's, pointing to a few I thought were particularly interesting to Jan. She remarked about the peacefulness, serenity and beau…

Here are the rules:1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Shelly at Wine at 52) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I've had this lovely blog award in my file of things to do for awhile. I don't take awards lightly and so; have decided I now have some time to begin this lovely process.

First, many thanks Shelly. Please pop over, you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. She's become one of my frequent travelers of late and so I have her listed on my blog log as well. She posts about many things that we can all relate to in our daily lives.

Pass the award onto 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Wow...that's a tall order. I visit a good number of blogs daily; but to say I've newly discovered them would be incorrect. So here I will list 5, and…

The outside of The Manor Club is as pretty as the inside. It's very Colonial in design, which is appropriate, given it's close proximity to Colonial Williamsburg. It's quite homey. A gated community, while hubby was off golfing, my daughter and I could go for walks and feel very comfortable. The Manor Club is a Marriott property in Colonial Williamsburg.

Such pretty bathrooms. This is the 2nd bathroom, the small one that goes with the 2nd bedroom. A door could be closed between her space and our space, which it private--apt like.

The living room was beautiful, roomy and had plenty of furniture. There's a fireplace, though we didn't use it when we were there last July. Looking out the big sliding glass door is our screened in porch with table and chairs. We often had cocktails or ate our meals there.